


078 - Baby Nephew Babysitting Duties

by storiesaboutvan



Category: Catfish and the Bottlemen (Band)
Genre: Dad Van, F/M, Fluff, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-11 04:33:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17440034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesaboutvan/pseuds/storiesaboutvan
Summary: Filling the prompt “Can you do a story where you have to look after your baby nephew and van helps”





	078 - Baby Nephew Babysitting Duties

**Author's Note:**

> Tagged as 'Dad Van' because there are ~~vibes. Not literally Dad Van tho.

Finn was dropped on your doorstep around 4pm. Your brother's wife was going into labour with their second child, and your parents had picked Finn up from kindergarten, dropped him with you, then gone on to the hospital. You knew this was the plan, but being left alone with a four-year-old was still a little daunting. He sat on the couch for ten minutes with a picture book before getting bored and finding you in the bathroom. It was meant to be date night with Van. You knew that would no longer be the case, but regardless you continued to put your makeup on. Finn stood at the door and watched. 

"I guess we should call Van and tell him not to get dressed up, hey?" you asked Finn. He shrugged shyly. He knew you'd asked a question, but he didn't know what you meant. You pulled your phone out and tried for Van. He didn't pick up. Finn ventured over to you and held out a little hand. He wanted your phone. "You know how to use an iPhone?" He nodded. You crouched on the ground and handed it to him. You watched him flick through the pages of app icons for something he recognised. You didn't really have any games. His little face furrowed in confusion. "Um... what about this?" you said softly and opened a new note where he could free draw. He knew it, and began to select different colours and make random scribbles and shapes. He plonked himself on the tiled floor of the bathroom. You sighed in relief.

Once your makeup was done you tried for Van again after swapping your phone for your iPad with Finn. "Hey, babe! I'll probably get to yours early. Traffic was lighter than I thought," he greeted. 

"Um... That's cool. You've already left yours?" 

"Yeah. Why? What's wrong?" 

"Nothing's wrong. Gemma went into labour. I've got Finn here, so date night is postponed," 

"Oh man, that's ace! It's early, isn't it? Gem told me she wasn't due for another week and a bit?" Van spoke about your family like he had always been a part of it. 

"Yeah. I think it's alright, though. No news. But yeah, so, I'm just going to stay in and look after this one. You could go catch up with mates or something?" 

"You don't want me to come help? I love Finn," 

"You've met him once," 

"Yeah and I love him. Bet if you ask him if he wants me to come he'd say yes," Van said. You didn't doubt his love for the child, but you doubted Finn could remember someone he'd met once months ago. They had spent the day together, building towers out of lego in Finn's room, but still. You crouched back down and looked at Finn. He looked up at you. 

"Finn, do you remember Van?" you asked him, putting your phone on speaker. "Van, say hi," 

"Hey mate! Remember me?" 

Finn's little face lit up and he smiled gap-toothed. He nodded. "Van!" he squealed and you couldn't believe it. Van's voice got more recognition than your literal presence. 

"Want Van to come over?" you asked Finn, to which he nodded again. You laughed, stood, and took the phone off speaker. 

"Told ya. I'll bring something over for dinner, yeah?" 

…

Van arrived with fish and chips while you were making milkshakes. Finn was standing between the bench and your legs. Van crouched down and waved. "Hey mate," he said. Finn giggled and held onto your legs. You poured the mix into two regular glasses and a tall, thin one. Finn hadn't mastered the cognitive skill of conservation; he'd think he was getting more milkshake when you were really giving him less in case the milk upset his tummy. Van wrinkled his nose up into a cute little smiley expression and motioned with his hands for Finn to come to him. He looked up at you and you nodded. He padded over to Van and fell into his arms, which were long enough to wrap around him completely. Van stood and held Finn on his hip. He walked to you and kissed you on the cheek.

"Milkshakes?!" Van said, looking at Finn. "I don't get milkshakes when you're not here. Maybe we should keep you around?" Finn nodded and held his hands to his mouth.

You set the table and put chips on Finn's plate. You had to stack pillows on the chair for him to be able to reach. Van tried to get him to eat some of the battered fish, but he just wasn't into it. He tried one of the calamari rings, probably because it looked like an onion ring. The texture was completely new to him and he took it out of his mouth after one bite. He looked at it, tried again, but couldn’t get through it. He made a small whine sound and held the half chewed piece to Van. Van took it and put it on the side of his own plate.

"You eat," Finn said.

"I eat what? That?" he said pointing to the leftovers. Finn nodded. Van looked at you. Neither of you could tell if Finn was doing some sort of evolutionary adaptive process of getting the adult to try something first before eating, or if he was just fucking with Van for fun. Van shrugged and ate it. Finn watched, then went back to his chips. "Ketchup?" Van asked Finn and he watched in delight when Van drew a smiley face on his plate with the sauce.

Your mum called during dinner to update you. No real news - the contractions were getting closer together but it would be a while. She asked if you were alright with Finn, and as you watched him feed Van chips, you said yes.

After the dishes were stacked in the sink you carried Finn into the lounge. He was squirming in your arms yelling "No! You!" at Van, who was calmly saying "No, you are," back at him. You didn't know what they were calling each other. You put Finn on the couch and he immediately crawled into your lap. He looked at your face carefully. Van turned the television on and played Big Fish. It was one of his favourites, and you remembered him saying it always reminded him of his dad and grandfather telling him stories. He came and sat next to you. Finn rested his head on your chest and you wrapped your arms around him. He watched Van, and Van pretended to not notice. A smile was on his face though.

"I think he's in love with," you said to Van. Van looked over at you, then at Finn. He moved closer and wrapped his arm around your shoulders. It made you pine for a future where you'd have your own little squealing child to hold at night. You could see Van pining for the same thing. He leant in and kissed you on the lips quickly. Finn grunted.

"You want kisses too?" Van asked. He scooped Finn up and put him on his back on the couch with his head resting on your legs. He tickled him and Finn screamed out high pitched sounds. Van blew raspberries onto Finn's tummy and the kid went mental. He pulled Van back by his hair every time he went to move away. Eventually, when his little body couldn't sustain the laughter, he went quiet. Van kissed his nose and sat up. Finn moved to snuggle in between you both. You pulled a blanket over and covered him.

…

When you woke up you were stretched out on the couch. The living room was bright with light. You looked around for Finn. How the fuck had you fallen asleep on babysitting duty? You were one second away from panicking when you heard Van's surprised voice say "Whaaaaaatttt?" from the kitchen, followed by Finn's happy laughter. You could smell eggs and bacon and coffee. You stayed under the blanket on the couch until your phone rang. You ran to where it was on the table. Finn had a baby brother, Jacob. After breakfast Van drove you all to the hospital. You looked over at him at the wheel.

"I want a baby," you said. Van smiled and looked at Finn in the rear view mirror.

"Same,"

"Now. Like. I want our kid to play with Finn, and Jacob now too." Van looked over and nodded, and you knew he knew what you meant and what you needed. You'd fall pregnant within the month.


End file.
